8/21/09

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America votes to invite people who are in same sex relationships into ministry!!!!!

After the presiding Bishop Hanson discovered that it was time for a prayer he discovered there was none ready. The congregation laughed together as Bishop Hanson asked if that gaff would not be included in the minutes. This is the soul of the ECLA as members who emotionally and passionately dissented to allowing GLBT ministry called for their congregations to maintain the body in Christ and to not vote to succeed from the ELCA.

Effectively concurring with item 2 the ELCA voted yes to allow Gay and Lesbian clergy. There was passed an amendment that does require to respect those whose policy is to prohibit the exclusion or inclusion of gay and lesbian people in the ELCA

The 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, meeting in Chicago, directed the task force assigned to develop the social statement on human sexuality to "specifically address and make recommendations to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly on changes to any policies that preclude practicing homosexual persons from the rosters of this church." The church maintains official rosters for associates in ministry, deaconesses, diaconal ministers and ordained clergy.

The report and a four-step recommendation were released in February 2009. The report discusses concepts such as "bound conscience" and "structure flexibility." Assembly voting members will decide to accept or reject the recommendation, or amend any part of it. The ELCA Church Council recommended that each part of the recommendation requires a majority vote to adopt.

The assembly amended the order of consideration of ministry policies resolutions to 3, 1, 2, 4. The four-step process asks these questions:

Step one asks the assembly whether, in principle, this church is committed to finding ways to allow congregations that choose to do so to recognize, support and hold publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships.APPROVED

Step two asks the assembly whether, in principle, this church is committed to finding a way for people in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as professional leaders of this church.Approved

Step three asks this church whether, in the future implementation of these commitments, it will make decisions so that all in this church bear the burdens of the other, and respect the bound consciences of all.APPROVED

Step four proposes the specifics of how this church can move toward change in a way that respects the bound consciences of all.APPROVED

Breaking Today the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church is voting on a major piece of legislation that modifies their ministry policies. If passed in its entirety then the ELCA will allow people "in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as rostered leaders of this church."

The proposal may be found here. They are voting on each section one-at-a-time that is listed in bold type. There are four resolutions:

1. Step one asks the assembly whether, in principle, this church is committed to finding ways to allow congregations and synods that choose to do so to recognize, support and hold publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships. (Passed)2. Step two asks the assembly whether, in principle, this church is committed to finding a way for people in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as professional leaders of this church. (To resume later today, 2 pm CST)3. Step three asks this church whether, in the future implementation of these commitments, it will make decisions so that all in this church bear the burdens of the other, and respect the bound consciences of all. (Passed)4. Step four proposes the specifics of how this church can move toward change in a way that respects the bound consciences of all. (To resume later, time unknown yet.)

You may follow the debate via live video stream here.Read the rest here.

Bottled water provided Friday night & Saturday.Registration is necessary for the workshops and meals on Saturday.Registration Cost: $15 Includes Saturday Box Lunch, $20 Includes Saturday Box Lunch & Full Dinner(Price increases on October 1st, so Register early to save!)Limited number of Scholarships available. Email for details.

Note: Peterson Toscano's performances, as well as the Picnic, are FREE to everyone.

An event to bring awareness to the specific needs and special circumstances within the Trans community, and educate all those open to gaining new insights and knowledge of this special group within the LGBT.

The conference weekend kicks off Friday night with our keynote speaker, Luis Garcia, followed by a fun-filled Variety show performed by Peterson Toscano, including hilarious excepts from Queer 101-Now I know my gA,B,C's and Ho Mo No Mo Halfway House.

Saturday you'll have the opportunity to enjoy hearing and learning from well-known speakers on issues within the Trans community, as well as attend educational workshops to enlighten you on the day-to-day lives of Trans men, women and youth.

[Israel society can be very secretive and at the time of publication I have not been able to obtain a copy of the original note nor have I found the web site the original note was reported to have appeared on.]

A purported anonymously written note by a member of a haredi Jewish Ultra Orthodox sect defaming LGBT people supposedly appeared on the mystery web site Tzofer.com.

The Tzofer author Yisrael Artzi was interviewed by Uri Blau a correspondent for the Haaretz newspaper. Yisrael Artzi said he did not know who wrote the original note that appeared on the Tzofer web site, but that he concurred with the notes content and intent.

Yisrael Artzi went on to say that homosexuals "are worse than beasts, at least a beast knows it's [homosexuality] wrong, or not natural" and that the managers of the J'lem youth center “should be forced to face a firing squad.”